COUPLER

America in the Coming Age of Electronics (No Kings, 2011) Byline: Cleansing your filthy  earholes with a gently  deconstructed electron rins...

America in the Coming Age of Electronics

(No Kings, 2011)

Byline: Cleansing your filthy 

earholes with a gently 

deconstructed electron rinse

For: Morton Subotnick, Pauline 

Oliveros, Caged Soprano, long-

lost future android lovers

Coupler's America in the Coming Age of Electronics is the first solo effort from Lambchop’sRyan Norris. It's quite a puzzle in that it manages to present itself both as an artifact of some fictional history (you'd think the Electronic Age would have arrived by 2011, no?) and post-apocalyptic planet of sound. 

There are (at least) two traits about this record that keep it special in the current tape tsunami. First, the music is a fantastic brain massage. Textures are woven as sound sculpture in three dimensional, temporal space with extraordinary dexterity. No time wasted (or overcrowded). I haven’t heard vocal-ish tones (synthesized or sampled) as warm as Norris' melotron since Clara Rockmore’s theremin recordings ofTchaikovsky on Eno's OHM box.

And despite this "coming age of electronics," emotional heft is present in each mechanical breath. Amy Marcantel’s vocal melotron samples are treated enough to catch the ear with alien vowels, but without losing human warmth. John Connor and Skynet have made uneasy peace, or blown each other to bits to leave a lone android survivor singing their eulogy, all in the past's imaginary future. Take your pick.

The other special thing about this tape is that this compositional care is reciprocated in No Kings’ packaging. The semi-transparent acetate overlay (courtesy of Univers/Elementum & Horsehair Everywhere-er Geoffrey Sexton) is splashed with both vibrant psychedelic tones and charred Xerox artifacts to mesh with the minimal patterns on the white inner cards, giving depth to the cover and inviting you to play while you listen. The effect is somewhat similar to that crazy hologram LP cover out this year (2011) from Finnish electronic freaks Tuusanuuskat.

One of the most pleasant, inner eye-opening listening experiences I’ve had this year.

~ Jowy

p.s. Other recent No Kings cassettes Ala Vjioor (Hobo Frank) / Twin Polygamists (Christian Kann) split andScissoring – We Hate Everything (Who Gives a Fuck?), are well worth checking out. Samples here and direct order available from No Kings until supplies run out (will be soon), then try Tomentosa, Animal Psi, 905 Tapes, Eggy,Aguirre Records (Belgium), Vacation Vinyl (LA).